


First-Name Basis

by Ailette



Series: Prussian Blue [4]
Category: Primeval
Genre: AU in so far that no one from the team ever died, Established Relationship, Imported, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-15
Updated: 2009-10-15
Packaged: 2018-06-05 05:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6691678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailette/pseuds/Ailette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beginning to call Lester by his first name happened like most new things between them did: by accident.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First-Name Basis

Beginning to call Lester by his first name happened like most new things between them did: by accident.  
  
It was busy as usual at the ARC, people hurrying down hallways even though no anomalies had blinked into existence, machines whirring and soldiers looking remarkably tough while sipping their tea. Connor had got used to the ARC’s buzz, was nearly unaware of it as he sat in front of his laptop in one of the closed off conference rooms. Because, yes, they had actual conference rooms and not just Lester’s office to gather in. Their boss just preferred to herd the ‘really important people’ in there when they came to check on how the motley crew of the ARC was handling creatures rampaging through modern day London.  
  
It had sounded hurtful at first, but there was the exaggerated play of Lester’s eyebrows as he said it. It was the one Connor had seen him do several times around Christine Johnson; his very own subtle giveaway that he’d rather go and walk the mammoth than be with the latest personified hurdle at work. No, Lester didn’t much like the ‘really important people’ and the only reason they were brought into the impressive looking (and always meticulously cleaned) conference room was the pale turquoise curtains that kept them from looking into the ARC’s main room and seeing more than they should. Usually, the doors for the main conference room were locked.  
  
Naturally, Connor had talked Danny into organising a key for him.  
  
After all, he needed peace and quiet away from prying eyes every now and then. Not for his actual work, mind you. He quite liked having an audience for the times when he discovered exciting space-time theories the anomalies had just proven to be true or tinkered on a new little ‘gizmo’ as Sarah fondly dubbed all his brilliant inventions. But he wasn’t so much working right now as he was clearly going against some form of Secret Act or other.  
  
That was, unless someone had decided that hacking into your superior’s personnel file had become legal after his last attempt.  
  
Anyway, he couldn’t actually be blamed for this. He needed to hack into Lester’s file (and either way, if getting access to a top secret file was this easy, it was security’s fault and not his). How else was he going to find out his boyfriend’s – no, partner’s birthday? They had been together for nearly three weeks now and he wasn’t even calling him by his first name. By the time Lester revealed his birth date, it would have probably passed a dozen times.  
  
A little gloomily, Connor stared at the screen. He was over the point where he started snickering over Lester’s middle name, but only because he’d puffed and blown all over the keyboard the last couple of times he’d opened the file. This time, he just glared at the name greeting him there next to Lester’s photo, mocking him with an intimacy he didn’t yet share with the older man.  
  
“James,” he growled at the screen; as if defying it to stop him from using his partner’s name.  
  
There, right there was his next problem with Lester and him. Not only didn’t he call the man he was in a relationship with by his first name, he didn’t even know what to call him inside his head (God forbid should they ever come out to anyone – he’d probably stutter something embarrassing and sappy about how this was Lester, the man he shared a bed, a flat and at the same time so much more with and no, sorry, he didn’t really have a label to stick to him. Though he had a good chance of being the love of Connor’s life, thank you very much.)  
  
He’d reluctantly got used to calling him his ‘partner’ in his head, but somehow that sounded too clinical, more like they were running a law firm together and not sleeping with each other. But what else could he say? Boyfriend? The word always made Connor blush a little; it seemed strangely childish and not really appropriate for a man in his forties. He liked it a lot better than ‘partner’ though.  
  
“James,” he repeated, this time letting the name roll carefully over his tongue and pretending it was helping him think as he sat there, eyes fixed on the date he’d meant to find out.  
  
Things just always had to be a tad difficult for them, hadn’t they?  
  
He sighed, letting his head fall back a bit and closing his eyes. “Not like we would want it any other way though, right James?” He asked the empty room before him, imagining for a second that Lester was sitting on the other end of the long wooden table, watching him with an unimpressed frown and the thought made him grin.  
  
“James,” he said again, sounding amused to his own ears. Oh, he could get used to that name.  
  
“James.” Serious, this time, like he was about to have a word with his par—Les—oh, sod it, his boyfriend. Boyfriend sounded more like, _he’s mine so get your paws off him_ and that was definitely the meaning Connor was going for.  
  
“James.” A moan, breathless like they were in the bedroom with Lester looking down at him with unusually dark green eyes as he whispered something surprisingly dirty in Connor’s ear.  
  
“James.” Drawn out, exasperated and yet laced with good humour as he called a halt to the older man’s mocking of ‘bloody scientists’ and their ‘bloody suicidal approach to everything that looks like it could potentially be dangerous’.  
  
“James.” A whine, pleading with his boyfriend to let work be work and join him on the couch already; QI was about to start.  
  
Yes, he really liked that name. It was beautiful, elegant and versatile and most of all, it fitted Lester. Now that he’d started saying it, he wasn’t sure he could stop again.  
  
“Are you quiet done yet?”  
  
Connor yelped and nearly fell off the chair in an attempt to quickly turn around and see who was standing behind him. Not that he was surprised when he craned his neck and was met with his boss’ questioningly raised eyebrow.  
  
Not unlike how Connor had imagined him to look earlier on, Lester frowned and let out a mild sigh as he shook his head. The perfect picture of disapproval. Connor almost automatically ducked his head.  
  
“You should be glad I recognised that someone hacking into my personnel file from the ARC’s conference room was you sticking your nose into things that were originally meant to be kept _classified_.” He threw a look over Connor’s shoulder and nodded to himself as if he saw a suspicion confirmed. “Do picture dear Captain Becker’s face though, should he have come in guns blazing to hear you moaning my name.”  
  
Connor did not picture that. Even less was he picturing a situation in this room where he had actual reason to moan his boyfriend’s name, with said boyfriend also in there. He didn’t. His cheeks felt a lot warmer all of a sudden anyway.  
  
Observing Connor’s change of skin colour, Lester seemed to decide that no further chiding was necessary (for now). Instead, he perched himself on the edge of the desk next to Connor’s laptop; careful not to accidentally knock the computer off the table since in the end, it would only be him who would have to justify the cost for new equipment in the coming budget proposal.  
  
“Why did you hack in there, anyway? One would assume that by now you know everyone’s little personal details by heart,” he said, eyes locked with Connor’s so he could observe the way the younger man’s eyes nervously flitted to one side before they dared to meet him again, a little more daring this time.  
  
“I wanted to know your birthday.”  
  
It was almost comical to see how Lester’s eyes widened a fraction at Connor’s sullen answer. That had very obviously not been what he’d expected. He recovered quickly though, a sign of having got used to Connor’s little everyday-surprises. Still looking slightly enervated, he leaned down and pulled the younger man forward to kiss him. The gesture made Connor smile against his lips, because they were at work and they _never_ did this at work. Letting anyone find out about them wasn’t an option for Lester and therefore even lingering touches were taboo in the ARC.  
  
It seemed to be alright when they were in a curtained off room though, Connor mused as Lester’s tongue traced his bottom lip before pulling away. Lester’s lips practically stayed on his though, just a hairbreadth between them. When he opened his eyes, the familiar emerald green of Lester’s greeted him from up close and he smiled again, brushing his lips against his boyfriend’s with the miniscule movement.  
  
When Lester started talking again, Connor could feel the words against his skin. “The next time you want to know something about me, I suggest you ask me.”  
  
Connor almost whined when Lester pulled back. “Will you answer?”  
  
A smirk crept his way into the older man’s features. “Maybe,” he said and it sounded like a promise to Connor’s ears.  
  
Lester had nearly reached the door when he stopped again, hand already on the doorknob. “One more thing,” he half turned to look at Connor. “If you like using my name so much, I’d be flattered if I was actually around to hear you do it.”  
  
Connor watched James leave the conference room with a lopsided grin on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> (Originally posted at http://ailette.livejournal.com/47250.html)  
> Beta:fififolle


End file.
